


Left Unspoken

by KyeAbove



Series: The Reinforcement Of Agony AU [92]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Crimes & Criminals, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Minor Chapter 5 Spoilers, Past Character Death, Some Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-08-09 19:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16456193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyeAbove/pseuds/KyeAbove
Summary: September 29th, 1963.  New York City, New York. Agony:ConsumingHenry and Tasker are in New York City on very important business.





	Left Unspoken

**Author's Note:**

> Finally back on this series! It was only a week but that can be forgiven on Chapter 5's release.

~September 29th, 1963~

* * *

 

New York City was in many ways different and many ways the same since Henry lived out his teen years here. When his brother had been killed, this place had seemed kinder than an empty bedroom and unfulfillable promises. Looking back, Henry wouldn’t say the same his younger self would have. 

Seeing, after all, he was far older now. Henry had turned fifty-seven this year. His time was getting on. Both his parents had died in their sixties. His brother had died at twenty-eight. Henry was already twenty-nine years older than his older brother who never got to grow old.

As it happens, this city was always so overwhelming for him, in memories and general noise. But his best friend needed his help, and Henry had a history of doing scary things for best friends. 

Tasker was looking at a time piece, looking around, and looking at Henry, who’d pulled his coat close over him further. It wasn’t cold, not that much, but Henry felt it more a comfort. 

“Remember the plan for if anyone I don’t know wants or asks our names?” Tasker asked, putting away his pocket watch. 

“I’m Henry Stein, and you are my son, Teddy Stein.” The lies could work. Close enough to their real names to not slip up too much. Until Tasker had changed his legal name at the beginning of the year  _ Theodore _ and  _ Teddy  _ was his name. 

And it was rather sad this wasn’t the first time Henry had assumed an alias to deceive people. 

They’d been waiting here long enough that Henry’s motorcycle had stopped clicking and had cooled. They could have tried to go into the building at any time since they arrived at it’s front, but Tasker assured him that they had to wait. It was to do with whatever meeting with whatever person Tasker had wanted to come all the way to the city for, and Henry wasn’t here to question it. Mostly he was here to shop when they were done with whatever Tasker was doing here. 

Henry peeked over his coat, and stared at the building. It was...rather familiar. Had he sold bootleg alcohol to this establishment in his youth? It was likely. It was just that he’d peddled a lot of alcohol in that time of his life, so he couldn’t place a specific memory to it. Still, it possibly gave him a better idea of what he and Tasker might be doing here.

Tasker did drink. A lot. One of the reasons Henry was here was because Tasker was too hungover or tipsy to drive. Henry wasn’t sure which. Possibly both.  

For proving his point, Tasker stepped forward ever so slightly, and ended up stumbling into Henry’s side. Tasker, being even shorter than Henry, and Henry’s footwear giving him a few extra inches, Tasker was able to easily lean on Henry’s rather small frame. 

“Dad,” A slip of the tongue, or Tasker into the entire act in case an outsider showed up just then, Henry couldn’t say, “Remind me later that I need to pick up something each f’r Joleen and Nate.” Speaking of late Elwin Andrews’ kids, whom Tasker had been making sparse attempts at parenting. He claimed that it was all brotherly, but Henry knew he saw otherwise. Tasker just didn’t want to be a bad example to the kids, or else he’d try harder.

“Nothing too big.”   
  
“Your fault for not wanting to drive a car.” A little insensitive, considering Henry had made it clear why he couldn’t get behind the wheel, but Tasker’s probable sleepless night, and his clearly growing stress was getting to him, and making him not think straight. 

Henry let Tasker rest on his side, looking around for some indication of what they were waiting for. For moment, there was only the general buzz of the city, and Tasker’s light snoring in his ear. 

Then, they were approached with intent, and Henry was sure this woman was who they were here to meet. Of course this was happening when Tasker was sleeping!

“You’re who my father is meeting with today, I assume.” The woman looked bored and generally disinterested. “I’m Miss Gertrude Ayton.”

“Misters Stein.” Henry gestured to both him and Tasker, while straining a smile and avoiding a reluctant handshake. 

Gertrude accepted this with no question, and the look in her eyes told she was rather thankful Henry was being standoffish.. 

“Good. Now, if you’d follow me…” Getrude turned towards the building they were all standing in front. Seeing Tasker wasn’t going to be steady on his feet, Henry picked him up instead, carried him. Tasker briefly awoke to look up at Henry, but then fell asleep once more.

None of the display made Gertrude bat an eye. She simply led them into the tavern, through and among the tables of people. In the quick looks he could get, Henry was very sure this was once a speakeasy he’d supplied alcohol for, just far more updated. What memories.

There was no one who paid attention, even though Henry expected  _ looks.  _ They made it to a door in the very back without a look or a comment. It put Henry a bit more on ease. That was before Henry was lead through the door. 

A man was working at a desk in the center of the room. Big and powerful seeming, but laid back somehow. He looked like he was enjoying himself. He looked up from his work, and spotting the trio, smiled. 

“Gertie. Thank you for bringing our guests in!” The man stood at full height. He wasn’t particularly tall, but he held himself like he was.

Not knowing what else to do, Henry lightly jostled Tasker, waking him up. Causing Tasker to scramble and, if sleepily, throw his arms around Henry, and look around confused. Henry was still supporting his full weight.

Since she was the first thing in his line of vision, Tasker took notice of Gertrude first, and her resemblance to the man at the desk.

“So must be the Gertie I’ve heard so much about. You father talks about you a lot.” Tasker talked in the cheerful tone only the severely sleep deprived could muster.

“He really shouldn’t.” Gertrude gave her father a pointed glare, to which he smiled lovingly back at her. Smiling a little herself, Gertrude left the room without a goodbye.

“I see you’ve found my daughter agreeable...” The man spoke lightly, like a friend. Henry had never met any of Tasker’s friends. 

Jerking, and straining poor Henry, Tasker looked over at the man. Then, Tasker raised both his hands in defense, and put himself to the floor.  

“I’m still not interested, unless you’re willing to pay me to marry her.” Because as he’d admitted to Henry, neither woman or men interested him. 

The man laughed, but it wasn’t sinister at all. 

“Only if she agreed as well. I’m not the sort to marry off my daughter without her will.” A honest sounding phrase. The man seemed to really care for his daughter. 

It was only then that the man took notice of Henry. Scrutinizing, but not like a hunter on its prey. 

“You've brought a friend.” 

“He’s my father...for the day. I needed him to drive me here, and then we're going to hit the shops, and…”

Henry backed off to the side at this point, and tried to ignore the conversation as much as he could. It wasn’t his talk. He was going to hide in a corner, and hope that-

“Henry, will you take a seat?” And it was the man addressing him. Tasker must have mentioned his name, and Henry hadn’t heard.

Looking at him oddly, and at the extra chair Tasker was positioning before he sat down in his own in front of the desk,  Henry asked “Why?”

“You are my guest here as well. Seeing as young... _ Tasker, _ you changed you name to?” The man looked back at Tasker. Tasker looked a little embarrassed. 

“Well, actually my new full name is Henry Tasker, cause I liked Henry’s name. I just prefer being referred by my new last name, especially now that Henry is around. I don’t want people getting confused.” Tasker smiled at Henry, and Henry smiled back. 

Henry remembered that phone call. Tasker had thought he needed to ask permission to rename himself using Henry’s own name. 

“Good choice. Speaking of,” The man made eye contact with Henry. “My name is Keith Ayton. A pleasure to meet you.”

“...likewise.” After some hesitation, Henry decided there really would be no harm in sitting down. He could still tune out whatever illegal conversation was taking place if he tried hard enough. It proved worth it, because the chairs were rather comfy.

Once he was sure both his guests were satisfied, Ayton sat back down in his own chair, and put his hands together. 

“Let’s keep this quick. I only wish I’d found out sooner. I felt I should talk to you personally to make sure you’re alright.” That look was the look of a worried friend, and Henry really had to wonder where these two had met. “As your ‘father’ as witness, you can use any of my resources. Anything you want!” Ayton spoke into his smile. “What happened to that fucking Darling -bah!- was a blessing. Hell, if anyone tries to claim you pushing him down those stairs wasn’t self defense, I’ll hire you my best lawyers.”

As Ayton ranted on and on for his hate for Tasker’s so called father, and the man’s death, and Tasker’s growing ashamed look, Henry was beginning to realize why Tasker drank so much. Maybe that’s why he’d brought Henry in here. For Ayton to say everything Tasker couldn’t bare to tell Henry. 

“It’s all very kind of you…” Tasker eventually muttered, and then he caught Henry’s horrified look. “We’ll talk about this at home, okay?” 

Henry nodded, eyes still wide, and even more emotional pain creeping in. 

“So, he didn't know?” Ayton had paused his ranting to show Henry some concern. 

“Never told him.” Tasker kept it at that.

“Why not?”

Clearly saddened, but unable to change anything, Ayton dug around his drawers, and then placed a wade of cash in Henry’s hand.

“I don’t think-!” Shocked, Henry tried giving it right back to Ayton.  

“It’s a gift. I know I don’t need to bribe you to keep quiet. But all this to suddenly be heard by your ears? And you look down on your luck, and I’ve been there.” 

Henry looked at this large amount of cash. A wade this size would raise questions and make him memorable. Henry really didn’t want that. He liked that he’d faded into obscurity. 

Feeling frugal at best, Henry took out only a few bills, and was fully prepared to return the rest. Then all the art supplies he could afford now crossed his mind…

If this Ayton really felt charitable enough to casually hand out this much money, Henry could stomach receiving it. If he spent it on art supplies. Henry pocketed the slightly smaller wad, and put the loose bills in his wallet. 

“Fine, I’ll take it.” 

Ayton looked satisfied. 

“Thank you. I like making people happy. If I can only do it with money sometimes, that is also fine.” 

Henry looked down. 

“I’m going to buy some art supplies. I like drawing.” An understatement. He’d been an animator, a comic book artist, and then an illustrator for books. On top of that, he was usually able to sell any of his inkbased art pieces.  If he could ever feel motivated again, he might be able to do that all again. If anything, he would no longer be freeloading on Tasker. 

“You’re have to show me an example one day.” 

Henry looked back up at Ayton, and thought, and then smiled. 

“Yes, maybe. Maybe one day.”

_ One day.  _

**Author's Note:**

> While Henry’s last name has been revealed in the game to be Stein, I’ve built too much of the stuff in this AU off the Bendtsen last name to change from it, but I thought I’d have him use that alias as a nod to canon. In this context, since Stein is actually Wally’s original last name in this AU (which I’d picked out and revealed before Chapter 5) Henry was probably taking from Wally.
> 
> Although that thinking applies a lot. This series will follow canon even less than it did before now, thanks to Chapter 5. This series will only sparingly take elements from Chapter 5.


End file.
